A Samurai’s Tale: Legend of the Oda
by Linkonpark100
Summary: This is the tale of how Kaoru Hisakawa saved the Oda.


_It was at the end of the Muromachi period when wars between clans began erupting throughout Japan, ushering in the Warring States period._

 _It was during these unstable times that Yoshimoto Imagawa, the daimyō of Suruga, announced that he would march into the capital and bring peace to the land._

 _In his first move, he took Ieyasu Tokugawa of Mikawa and other daimyō, and marched west to crush the weak minor daimyō Oda clan in Owari._

 _However, they were hit by an unexpected storm. Despite the heavy rain, Nobunaga, the leader of the Oda clan, set out with his vassals to attack._

 _What would become of these two men? Their fates, along with the fates of many others, would be decided here at Okehazama._

 _Meanwhile, a lone wanderer had traveled all the way to Owari in the Chubu region to find the master he desired to serve._

 **XXX**

 _Dengaku-hazama, Owari Province_

Kaoru Hisakawa had journeyed through Chubu to find a worthy master to serve. It was strenuous, to say the least, as there weren't any inns with fair pricing to find. Sleeping outdoors didn't help since they were very dangerous, he had to repel the thieving vagabonds that were trying to steal his sword.

Before he had left, Kaoru had been given a spear that would help him in battle as a parting gift. He carried it on his back and would only use it when he was in battle.

The current situation did not help matters as it was raining heavily. Kaoru found his legs dirty as he walked through the ruined path. Many footsteps had been left behind due to the rain.

 _'The mud is difficult to walk through,'_ he thought.

Looking up at the sky, it was very dark and Kaoru knew that he needed to find a place to rest. He would have to halt his quest for the time being. Having no umbrella did not help matters for his current situation.

"Hey, you!"

When Kaoru turned around, he found himself surrounded by several soldiers. They were pointing their weapons at him, looking like they were ready to fight him. He squinted his eyes and recognized the emblem on their armor.

 _'Imagawa troops,'_ Kaoru thought as he got into a stance and held onto his sword.

"State your business!" One of them yelled, clearly on edge.

"I am merely a traveling wanderer in search of shelter," he answered calmly, not letting go of the handle. "I have no idea why I am merely being targeted."

"Do not try and fool us!" Another shouted. "It's obvious that he is one of the Oda!"

 _'The Oda?'_ He thought. If the Oda were here, then maybe his quest would finally be completed.

"Even if he weren't part of the Oda, he must be a spy that leaked our location to assist them in the ambush against us!" Soon, the paranoia grew amongst the soldiers as he could see the agitation on their expressions.

"It seems there is no use talking," Kaoru muttered as he unsheathed his katana. "Come and face me if you dare."

With that challenge, one of them charged at him with his spear. Kaoru spun and dodged the weapon. Quickly, he slashed his enemy in the back.

Hearing one of their comrades cry out in pain, the Imagawa soldiers realized that this was no ordinary wanderer. Panicking, they all decided to gang up on him by attacking all at once.

Kaoru noticed their movements and began to parry away their attacks. Normally, it takes a short time to recover from a parry. However, he had done it with much more speed and proficiency as he quickly caught all of his attackers off-guard.

With quick procession, he began to slice each and every one of his enemies cleanly. Once he was done, everything had felt like time had frozen around him. Slowly, he sheathed his katana as the rust was audible.

The Imagawa soldiers collapsed once the katana was shut.

With that out of the way, Kaoru began to venture around the area to find the Oda camp. After making a choice of his path, he began to move his way towards where he was originally going. He had hoped that it was where the Oda were supposed to be.

Unbeknownst to him, he was making his way to Tange Castle, where a unit of Imagawa soldiers were stationed.

 **XXX**

In the Oda camp, many retainers were talking about the upcoming battle.

Keiji Maeda was laughing at the situation. "Now this is a fight worth fighting! Outnumbered and no hope of victory? Let me at it!"

He was considered to be a wild man who enjoyed a good fight. It got even better if the odds were against him.

"No need to get quite excited, Keiji," said the goofy yet good-natured Hideyoshi Hashiba. "I'm sure Lord Nobunaga has a plan."

Hideyoshi was originally a sandal bearer named Tokichiro Kinoshita. Once he joined the Oda, he changed his name once he was into the military affairs.

Keiji smirked at that. "And if he can pull of the impossible here, then a minor daimyō from Owari will suddenly find himself in the running to rule the entire land."

Hideyoshi turned to Katsuie Shibata, the grizzled Oda veteran. "Don't you agree, Master Shibata? You wouldn't have brought the exiled Toshiie otherwise."

Having caused an incident that displeased Nobunaga, Toshiie Maeda was, at this time, exiled from the Oda. Realizing that in order to show his worth to the Oda, he needed to reform from his kabukimono ways and change himself for the better.

"You want to let Toshiie probe himself in this famous victory and use that as leverage to get him back in the Oda fold. Right?" Hideyoshi guessed.

"Enough chatter, monkey! Keep your scheming calculations to yourself!" Katsuie exclaimed, feeling offended by the implications.

Keiji calmed the older retainer. "We all desire victory, but if we lose, no warrior can want anymore than to die on the field of battle."

Katsuie nodded in agreement. "The victor will inherit the future. That's the only truth."

Toshiie still looked ashamed. "Keiji, my exile has caused trouble for the Maeda...and for you too, Hideyoshi."

Hideyoshi smiled as he wrapped his arm around Toshiie's neck. "We're friends! Don't worry about it, Toshiie."

Keiji smirked as he slapped Toshiie's back. "Uncle, didn't you hear what Katsuie just said? This is your chance to fight on the battlefield as a warrior!"

"My lord, the Imagawa are being attacked!"

Everyone's attention had turned to the messenger who was kneeling right in front. In front of him was Nobunaga Oda, the famed Fool of Owari.

He had an aura of darkness that made himself a threat. The messenger could only sweat bullets at how stoic his stare was. It didn't help that everyone was looking at him.

"Care to explain?" Nobunaga asked. He looked more curious than anything.

"T-There are reports that Tange Castle is being attacked by a vagabond! The Imagawa army are now in disarray!"

"All because of one person?!" Hideyoshi exclaimed in disbelief. "And he's there right now?!"

"Y-Yes!" The messenger responded, clearly put-off by the disbelief.

"Anyone who is capable of that threat surely must have years of experience," Katsuie muttered gruffly.

"The more important question at hand is whether of not he is our enemy or ally," wondered Toshiie.

"I believe that he could be a worthy ally for us since he is fighting the Imagawa," came a soothing voice. Oichi was Nobunaga's beautiful younger sister, who was admired and cherished by many of the Oda retainers.

"Heh, someone who walks in the enemy's base alone must have guts," Keiji remarked with a grin. "Maybe I could have my hand at fighting this guy."

"Hmph, the fool's gonna get killed with him isolated in the castle," came a boisterous voice. Koroku Hachisuka's clan was one of the most notable in the Owari Province who were independent before swearing their allegiance to the Oda due to how powerful they were.

"I doubt it. Anyone who has the ability to cause that much chaos for the enemy must have some skill," came a calm yet amused voice. Lady Nō was Nobunaga's wife, who was not only beautiful but also clever.

"Nevertheless, we need to strike now," said an aged veteran. Yoshinari Mori has served Nobunaga for a long time as one of his trusted advisors. "But it's your choice, my lord."

Everyone turned to looked at Nobunaga, whose smirk grew. This did nothing to derail the plan. In fact, it only accelerated it since someone else is attacking the Imagawa for them.

"Perhaps the heavens do favour me after all," he mused before he stood up from his stool. "We march now."

"Sir!" Everyone exclaimed as they got ready to strike down the enemy in the ambush.

Nobunaga got onto his favorite horse, Ashen Wind, as he stared up at the night sky. _'If the heavens do favor me, then I suppose that it is appropriate to greet the angel of death.'_

With that, the Oda made their move.

 **XXX**

"ARGH!"

A soldier cried out after he was cut down by Kaoru's blade. The vagabond walked towards the remaining enemies, who backed away in fear. Behind him were a number of bodies that belonged to several Imagawa soldiers.

"W-Who are you?!" cried out Ujitoshi Sena, a retainer of the Imagawa army and protector of Tange Castle. "A-Are you one of the Oda?!"

"Not right now," Kaoru replied as he sheathed his sword. As he walked towards them, he pulled out the spear had been rested on his back for a long time. "But I will be once I defeat you for them."

Twirling his spear, Kaoru pointed it at the enemy. "I am Kaoru Hisakawa. And you will be a stepping stone for my first goal."

 **XXX**

 ** _Oda Army:_**

 **-Nobunaga Oda (Commander)**

 **-Nō**

 **-Hideyoshi Hashiba**

 **-Toshiie Maeda**

 **-Katsuie Shibata**

 **-Keiji Maeda**

 **-Oichi**

 **-Kaoru Hisakawa**

 **-Yoshinari Mori**

 **-Nagahide Niwa**

 **-Koroku Hachisuka**

 **-Kazumasu Takigawa**

 **-Nobumori Sakuma**

 **-Hidetaka Kawajiri**

 **-Nagachika Kanamori**

 **-Hidetoshi Oda**

 **-Morishige Sakuma**

 **-Kazutada Hattori**

 **-Yoshikatsu Mōri**

 ** _Imagawa Army:_**

 **-Yoshimoto Imagawa (Commander)**

 **-Ieyasu Tokugawa**

 **-Hanzo Hattori**

 **-Tadakatsu Honda**

 **-Naotora Ii**

 **-Yasutomo Asahina**

 **-Naomori Ii**

 **-Motonobu Okabe**

 **-Tadatsugu Sakai**

 **-Masanobu Honda**

 **-Mototada Torii**

 **-Masatsuna Okabe**

 **-Munenobu Matsui**

 **-Noritsugu Yamaguchi**

 **-Masanobu Yui**

 **-Nagateru Udono**

 **-Ujiyoshi Yoshida**

 **-Ujitoshi Sena**

 **-Motozane Abe**

 **-Ujimoto Katsurayama**

 **-Yukimasa Iihara**

 **-Ujinori Kanbara**

 **-Motomune Kuno**

 **-Yoshinari Miura**

 **-Masatoshi Azai**

 **-Kageharu Kondō**

 **-Nobuoki Asahina**

 **-Noritsura Iio**

 **-Shizuzane Ohara**

 **-Munekore Ichinomiya**

 **-Sadamitsu Suganuma**

 **-Kazumasa Ishikawa**

 **-Tadayo Okubo**

 **-Sadayoshi Okudaira**

 **-Ienari Ishikawa**

 ** _Conditions:_**

 **Victory: Defeat Yoshimoto Imagawa.**

 **Defeat: Nobunaga Oda is defeated.**

 **XXX**

Keiji made his way through the battlefield of Okehazama where the plan was set. He volunteered to check out what was happening at Tange Castle since he doesn't do sneak attacks. For someone to cause a disturbance for the enemy, he was eager to see this guy's strength.

When he arrived at Tange Castle, Keiji had witnessed the carnage unfold as a path of bodies were left behind. And the perpetrator was not what the kabukimono thought he expected.

In the center was a young man who held a spear. No one could say that he looked like a child. In fact, he looked rather mature. Like a yamato nadeshiko in full bloom.

Except yamato nadeshikos wield naginatas. This one is using a spear.

Still, Keiji didn't care about appearances. Skill is all that mattered to him. And from what he saw, he was slightly impressed.

"Not bad there, stranger," Keiji called out as he got off Matsukaze, his sasumata still hoisted over his shoulder. "To create this much carnage shows how much of a fighter you are."

The man turned around and saw Keiji approaching him. "Are you one of the Imagawa?"

Keiji gave out a laugh. "Nah, I'm Oda. And judging from your victims, you're not Imagawa as well."

The stranger lowered his spear. "You're from the Oda clan? Then perhaps you can take me to Nobunaga."

"Oh?" The kabukimono smirked. "Now why would you want to see the big boss himself?"

"I desire to serve the Oda," the traveler answered. "Nobunaga is the only one that can rule this land."

Keiji rubbed his chin in thought. "If you plan on joining us, I've gotta have your name."

The stranger bowed. "It's Kaoru. Kaoru Hisakawa."

"Well then, Kaoru," Keiji drawled. "Nobunaga doesn't simply allow people to join him. To earn yourself a place in the Oda, you've gotta prove your worth on the field."

"What do I do to prove myself?" Kaoru asked.

"Well since you've helped us take Tange Castle, we can move to the next objective," Keiji said as he got back on Matsukaze. "We're gonna take over Zenshōji Garrison. Try to keep up."

With that, Keiji rode off to the next destination. Kaoru looked around and saw a free horse. It must have belonged to Ujitoshi.

Getting on, Kaoru rode off and followed Keiji. It took a while before he managed to keep up.

"Can you tell me why Zenshōji is important?" Kaoru asked as he reached Keiji.

"Nobunaga is planning an ambush and we need to have clear access to the cliff side," Keiji answered. "I would prefer charging head-on, but aiming for victory over huge numbers is awesome enough!"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they continued to ride off. Once they had arrived, they began to plow through the Imagawa troops. Keiji has wildly swung his pike at them while Kaoru was twirling his spear.

"The Oda?! How are they here now?!" Ujiyoshi Yoshida yelled out in panic.

"Haha! Now this is a party!" Keiji exclaimed wildly as his pike had brutalized another soldier.

"You call fighting a huge army fun?" Kaoru muttered as he stabbed into another soldier.

Suddenly, he felt a dark presence before he turned around and blocked an incoming strike.

 _'Kusarigama?!'_ he thought, clearly alarmed as he deflected the weapon against him.

The wielded landed with perfect grace. A ninja in blue who did not show any facial expression whatsoever.

Kaoru got off his horse as he approached the ninja, spear pointed at the foe of darkness.

"Keiji, deal with the other one!" Kaoru called out. "I'll handle the ninja."

"No problem!" The kabukimono called back as he cracked his knuckles towards Ujiyoshi, who whimpered in fear.

Kaoru turned to the ninja. "Shall we?"

Hanzo nodded as the two opponents circled around before they lunged at each other.

 **XXX**

 **A/N: And so begins A Samurai's Tale: The Legend of the Oda. If it were historically, Kaoru would be 15 years old when Okehazama happened. However since this is Koei, age doesn't matter much.**

 **The reason why I started the series with the Oda storyline is because the Sanada storyline comes after the Takeda storyline as a branching path while the Daimyō storyline is culminated from all the storylines into an alternate retelling of the Warring States.**


End file.
